


I've got a glass heart (break me gently)

by Seito



Series: love is a poison (so take a deep breath) [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, F/M, Family, Fluff, Hanahaki Disease, Love, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Unreliable Narrator, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-16 14:31:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18096173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seito/pseuds/Seito
Summary: “Take care of your heart, my child.”Her mother used to say that to her all the time. For the longest time, Aulea had no idea what she meant by it. Her heart was strong. She loved fiercely, she loved equally, sheloved.Sometimes love isn't enough. Sometimes love is too much. Sometimes love can break a heart.





	I've got a glass heart (break me gently)

“Take care of your heart, my child.”

Her mother used to say that to her all the time. For the longest time, Aulea had no idea what she meant by it. Her heart was strong. She loved fiercely, she loved equally, she _loved_.

“Your heart is frail, my child.”

Those words always had Aulea stomping her feet, unlady like. She hardly cared what people thought. She wasn't weak.

Aulea went, taking the world by storm. She smiled and laughed and loved.

Her fairy tale story came to life, unfolding so beautifully, so lovely.

And when all was rosy and shiny bright, she noticed something quiet, something so slight. Like a thousand blades, they pierced her heart, leaving her bleeding and weeping.

“Take care of your heart, my child, for one day it will break.”

-.-.-

There really wasn't anything special about Aulea and her family. Just another noble family in Insomnia. They weren't the wealthiest, they weren't the most well renowned, they weren't the biggest. Mid-tier at best. Her mother a lady of the court, one who used to keep the previous queen company before her passing, her father one of the many heads of a tiny department that overlooked the parks of all things.

There was one thing though.

She was betrothed to Crown Prince Regis Lucis Caelum.

Aulea had no idea how her family managed to swing that.

There were conditions and clauses. It could break, if she fell in love with someone else, if His Highness fell in love with someone else. Hanahaki was cautioned, warned about. Betrothal contracts were a rarity in their society, too easy to cause Hanahaki.

It was in place, simply if His Highness never found anyone, for a heir was needed, was required.

Aulea went and fell in love with Regis anyways. He was so easy to love. He was gentle and soft. It was like those fairy tales that she loved so fiercely.

It was an easy courtship if a long one. Aulea would softly sigh, so in love. Her heart trimmed and beat, a glee that often escaped from her lips.

Her mother fretted and worried. Aulea could hardly understand why. She was happy. Things were going wonderfully and amazing.

The wedding was beautiful and Aulea felt her love thrum in her heart, beating so loudly and strongly like a drum.

It was like a fairy tale come true. She got her prince, her love, and a crown to fit.

But not all fairy tales had happy endings.

-.-.-

It started off small. A quiet thing. Subtle. It almost slipped pass her attention. But it was there.

She spotted them out of the corner of her eye. Cor and Regis, chatting away. She was too far to hear the words, but the tender look on Cor's face. It was full of love directed at Regis. And Regis, with that soft smile he normally only looked at her with, directed at Cor.

'Ah,' she thought as she felt her heart shatter, 'they love each other.'

-.-.-

Once she saw it, she couldn't unsee it.

The forlorn look on Regis' face every time when Cor headed back out to the front lines. The way Cor could never look her in the eyes the few times she caught him in the Citadel. The quiet and subtle things. The way Regis never hesitated to share a teasing memory of Cor to her. The way they seem to fit together, standing side by side, but never touching. Even Clarus and Regis didn't fit that well together.

Her heart clenched as she watched Regis rock Noctis back and forth. Thousands of questions filling in her head. Why did he even marry her? Just for a heir? Cor was here first. Cor was important to him. Had he just never realized it until it was too late?

Did he even still love her?

"Aulea?" Regis asked.

Her chest ached, winding tighter and tighter like a corset pulled too tight. She loved him and Noctis so much. They were her entire world. And yet...

"Are you alright?" Regis asked. "You're looking pale?"

Regis was easy to love. He cared so much.

"I'm fine," she said with a brittle smile. She tried to ignore the thousands of blades being driven into her heart, tried to take a deep breath.

And found she couldn't.

-.-.-

Noctis was such a happy baby. He never failed to brighten her day. His first birthday was just months away, growing so fast.

Aulea hummed, waving the colorful keys as Noctis tried to grab them. His look of concentration was adorable.

"Aulea?"

"Regis!"

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I will be heading to the front lines, to assist with the movement. I'll be gone for two days," he said.

"Be careful," Aulea whispered. The war was in full swing; Niflheim aggressively pushing forward.

"I'll have Clarus guarding my back," Regis said. Then he chuckled. "Just have to help move Cor and his men into a new position."

Oh. Cor.

She swallowed hard, struggling to breathe.

Regis didn't realize, picking up Noctis to give him a hug. "Daddy will be back, Noctis."

Noctis babbled, clutching tight to Regis' jacket. Regis smiled, gently prying his hand free from Regis' jacket. "Don't worry, Noctis. You'll stay with your mother."

He handed Noctis back to Aulea who robotically took Noctis back. "I'll be back," Regis said. "I love you."

Did he?

As soon as he was gone, Aulea choked, gasping for breath. Tears streamed down her face, the doubt gnawing at her heart. She couldn't compare to Cor who always stood by Regis' side as his most loyal and strongest warrior. She couldn't compare to his devotion. She was just Aulea, the silly noble girl who provided Regis a heir. Did he really love her? Maybe, but it had to be so small compared to the ocean of love that Regis had to Cor.

As she bawled her eyes out, she never noticed the red rose petals falling from her lips.

-.-.-

"I would say that was a successful first birthday," Regis said with an easy grin.

Aulea nodded, breathless. She wheezed slightly; probably had overdone the dancing.

For Noctis' first birthday, it had been a rather grand ball. It was a shame they couldn't manage to have it on Noctis' actual birthday, but rather three days later. But the war left little time for personal matters and when Regis was called once more to the front lines, Aulea refused to celebrate Noctis' birthday without Regis present.

"Perhaps next year we'll actually manage to schedule it on Noctis' birthday," Aulea said.

"I am sorry about that," Regis said.

She giggled. "It's fine. The war is more important and the sudden change in date meant the guest list was cut in half by people unable to attend. I appreciated the smaller party."

"I'm happy I was able to convince Cor to return with me for the party," Regis said. "Even if he's heading back out to the front lines tomorrow. Honestly, I swear he works too hard."

Aulea felt her heart sputter and skip a beat. Cor. She had been happy to see him... She had been. Aulea wheezed a bit harder.

"Dear? Are you alright?" Regis asked.

"I'm fine," she said, ignoring the tight pain in her chest, ignoring the way her heart wept. "Just tired from all the festivities."

"Then let's get you to bed," Regis said, worried. "Hopefully you'll feel well rested in the morning."

Aulea nodded, slipping under the covers of their shared bed. As the lights dimmed, as Regis drifted off into sleep, Aulea found herself staring up at the ceiling, thoughts spinning. She tried not to think about the way Cor awkwardly danced with Clarus before Clarus swapped with Regis. She tried not to think about the way the two of them at that moment, laughter and the way they shined together. She tried not to think about the way Cor looked at Regis, the way Regis looked back.

She couldn't.

Her heart fell apart.

-.-.-

"Aulea? Where did these red petals come from? Aulea? Dear? Aulea?! AULEA!"

**Author's Note:**

> Aulea's rise and fall. She's very much an unreliable narrator. Or maybe she isn't. What's true, what's a lie, what's misunderstood, what's remains unsaid, questions to ask, questions unanswered. One day I'll get to Cor's side of this story and eventually Regis. 
> 
> Please leave a review on your way out :D


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